brit lit survey 1800 to present

7/31/2019 Brit Lit Survey 1800 to Present

1/8

English 56B British Literature Late 18th Century to the Present

Fall 2012, San Jos State UniversityT/Th 4:30-5:45pm, BBC 120 & IS 134A Computer Lab

Dr. Katherine D. Harris

Email: [email protected]

Google Chat: dr.katherine.harris

Skype: katherinedharris

Twitter: @triproftri

Office: FO 220

Phone: (408) 924-4475

Office Hours: W 2:30-4:30 & via online tools

Website: www.sjsu.edu/faculty/harris/Courses.htm

COURSE DESCRIPTION

The Romantic poets journeyed through Nature to find themselves. The Victorian novelists recognized social

injustice. The Modernists heralded World War I and its destructiveness. The Postmodernists take all of this, revise,

repackage, and re-sell it to the 20th-Century reader. In this course, we will read texts that reflect some of the variety

of cultural and historical experiences in England from 1790 to now, including alternative forms of publication suchas magazines, serial novels, e-literature, and weird novels (Tree of Codes). The final project will ask students to

draw parallels between 21st-Century texts and its predecessors.

STUDENT LEARNING OBJECTIVES

1. Read closely in a variety of forms, styles, structures, and modes, and articulate the value of close reading in the

study of literature2. Show familiarity with major critical approaches to British, American and World Literature;

3. Write clearly, effectively, and creatively, and adjust writing style appropriately to the content, the context, andthe nature of the subject;

4. Develop and carry out research projects, and locate, evaluate, organize, and incorporate information effectively;

and

5. Articulate the relations among culture, history, and texts.

REQUIRED BOOKS & MATERIALS (See Amazon list: http://amzn.com/lm/R3O6P9AFN453JJ)

Norton Anthology of English Literature. Vols. D, E & F or complete Vol. 2. 8th or 9th edition.

Bront, Charlotte.Jane Eyre. 3RD edition. Norton, 2001.

Burgess, Anthony.A Clockwork Orange. Re-print. Norton, 2011.

Carson, Anne.Nox. New Directions, 2010.Cunningham, Michael. The Hours. VHPS, 2000.Foer, Jonathan. Tree of Codes. Visual, 2010.

Rhys, Jean. Wide Sargasso Sea. New York: Norton, 1999. (


2/8

Brit Lit 1800 to Present - Policies 1

Class Discussion & Participation

This course traces the various political, social and cultural upheavals of the nineteenth century as reflected in three

centuries of narratives. Since we will build on our definition of narrative from the first day of class and spent lots of

time handling rare book materials to facilitate the various assignments, your participation in each class meeting is

imperative. On some days, we will meet in IS-134A, a computer lab where we will highlight the 21st-century's

strategies for disseminating information. A students participation is assessed by his/her contribution throughout the

semester. Use the following as guidelines for this portion of your final grade:

To earn a "C," do the minimum: read and prepare assigned readings so you are never at a loss if you are

asked a question, but speak only when called upon, do "ordinary," plain-vanilla presentations and

responses. This is the "bottom line" for getting a "C" in this part of the course.

To earn a "B," prepare assigned readings thoroughly, initiate discussions about them by asking good

questions or suggesting ways to interpret readings, do presentations that reveal that you have done good

additional work that you can make both interesting and meaningful to our discussions, and participate

actively in those discussions.

For an "A," take it up another level entirely: prepare readings thoroughly, find and talk about

connections among them and among other aspects of culture (then and now), take a real leadership role

in class discussions, including working actively to get others involved in the talk, make your

presentations and responses "sparkle" by bringing to them something really special in terms of yourown contributions, interests, skills, and abilities to think in broad even interdisciplinary terms. Most of

all, remember that an "A" indicates the very best grade a person can get; that should tell you what sortof work you need to do to earn the grade of "A."

If you miss class, contact a classmate for notes, reading assignments and handouts or check our Course Website.

(Please do not email me to ask Did I miss anything important?)

Weekly Blog Posts

Throughout the semester, we will write weekly blog posts (12 posts, 8 points each) to capture our thoughts about

that week's readings. During our first meeting in IS-134A, we will spend some time setting up a WordPress blog for

this very assignment. At other points in the semester, I'll ask you to read each others' posts and comment. Typically,

you will receive a prompt or question about which to pontificate. I encourage you to use the medium and include

images, video, web links, and whatever else you can find. As we become more comfortable with the technology, we

may even venture into making screencasts (aka videos). Also included in each post will be a word limit that willconsist of formally written paragraphs. (I still need to know that you know how to write!) We'll talk about this more

during our first lab day.

Each post will receive a grade based on the quality of your response. We will discuss what makes an effectiveresponse. There will be no make-up for these blog posts; you simply receive a zero for that week.

Tweet at Character Project

In the 21st-Century, we've figured out ways to stay connected constantly. But, we will soon discover that the 19th

and early 20th-century audiences were moving towards a social networking of their own via newspapers,

pamphlets, and magazines. How would they have reacted to Twitter, a social networking platform that allows only

140 characters per installment? We're going to find out. This semester, you will sign up for a Twitter account (we'll

talk about this during a lab day) and tweet as one of the characters or voices from our readings. How will you

capture the complex narratives of the poetry and prose that we'll read this semester? Will you craft a modern-day

version of the character, integrating a revised language and diction for this character? Or will you stay true to the

author's original intent and tweet the character's thoughts with just a little more filler? Your final analysis, along

with an archive of your tweets, will be submitted at the conclusion of the semester. Further instructions will be

distributed during our first computer lab day.

Collaborative Project on 19th-Century Materials

Often in literature surveys, we get caught up in reading only from the anthologies supplied to us by major

publishing houses. But how are the literary texts selected and what is it that we're missing when we read an editor's

version of literature? This semester, we're going to find out. Using my collection of original 19th-centurynewspapers, literary annuals, seralized novels, and magazines, groups will investigate the materiality of the text as


3/8


19th-century audiences would have experienced it complete with advertisements, crappy newsprint paper,

disappearing ink, and incendiary topics. Instead of calling this a group project, we're going to work on

collaboration, an instance where a group of students come together to discuss and enhance each other's ideas

(rather than divide and conquer a project without every speaking about the topic). I'll distribute a rubric for

collaboration to facilitate your success in this new type of environment. Each group will be responsible for taking

care of the rare materials and finding a focus about which to research and analyze. Further instructions will be

distributed during our first computer lab day and collaborators chosen too!

Final Project on 21st-Century Publishing Trends

As we get towards the close of the semester, we will look back at our journey through the publishing trends ofearlier years in order to assess the current state of print and virtual texts. Our three texts for the semester's

conclusion,Nox, Tree of Codes, andDiablo III, will take us further into new definitions of narrative than we will

have gone before. Two texts are a combination of visual and textual narratives while our third,Diablo III, is a third-

person role playing game. During our computer lab times, you will play the game in pairs and record each others'

play. For the final project, you'll rely one one of these three texts along with a text from earlier in the 20th-

Century or from the 19th-Century. The only caveat is that you may not rely on the text that you used for your

collaborative project. I am open to alternative forms of critical thinking and/or even collaborative final projects with

yourDiablo IIIpartner. Instructions will be distributed at a later date.

GRADING POLICY

The Department of English reaffirms its commitment to the differential grading scale as defined in the official SJSU

Catalog(The Grading System). Grades issued must represent a full range of student performance: A = excellent;B = above average; C = average; D = below average; F = failure. Courses graded according to the A,B,C,NoCredit

system shall follow the same pattern, except that NC, for NoCredit, shall replace D or F. In A,B,C,NoCredit courses

NC shall also substitute for W (for Withdrawl) because neither NC nor W affects students grade point averages.

In English Department courses, instructors will comment on and grade the quality of student writing as well as the

quality of the ideas being conveyed. All student writing should be distinguished by correct grammar and

punctuation, appropriate diction and syntax, and well-organized paragraphs.

For your final grades, 100-90 is an A, 89-80 is a B, 79-70 is a C, 69-60 is a D, and below 60 is an F. Pluses and

minuses are the middle of each range. In calculating the final grade, a set number will represent each letter grade;

for example, B+ is 87.5, B is 85, and B- is 82.5.

COURSE POLICIES

Course Website http://www.sjsu.edu/faculty/harris/Courses.htmAs we move along in the semester, course materials, and updated reading schedules will be posted on the

course website. Click on our class titleto review the updated schedule, print handouts, visit outside webprojects, print copies of lost documents, find the SJSU Writing Center, or check my office hours.

Late Assignments/Essays

If you cannot meet a deadline, you must contact me at least 72 hours priorto our class meeting to discuss thesituation. If this is not done, forevery day that an essay is late, you will be penalized one grade step: A

becomes A-, A- becomes a B+, etc. The weekend will count as one day. Unless you have prior permission or

the assignment specifically requests it, absolutely no assignment will be accepted via email.

Classroom & Online Environment

Respect your fellow students and I: Arrive on time (excessive tardiness will effect your participation grade)

and do not partake in disruptive behavior. We will all be respectful of each other in both our face-to-face and

online communications. If you are late, wait for an appropriate moment to enter so you do not disturb the class.

Turn off cell phones or put them on silent mode during the class period. You are welcome to use your laptop

with the caveat that it is used to enhance our discussions.

Email Protocols, Office Hours & Online Contact

Email is the best possible way to contact me (9am-5pm) and has the added bonus of recording our
mailto:[email protected]:[email protected]


4/8


conversations. When emailing me, please consider it a formal communication: include the appropriate

salutation, your name, your question/comment, and be aware of tone. Know that long conversations over email

are not fruitful merely because of the limitations of technology. If you have an extended question or dilemma

that cannot be answered by our online materials, please visit me during office hours, schedule a phone

conference, or arrange for an online chat/video chat. You might also be able to get my attention on Twitter. I

will amass a class email list and will occasionally send out information regarding our meetings or the readings.

Please provide an email address that you check daily.

Google Chat ID: drkatherineharris

Skype ID: katherinedharrisTwitter ID: triproftri

GENERAL INFORMATION

SJSU Writing Center

Visit me during office hours for help with your writing. For even further help, go to the Writing Center located

in Clark Hall, Suite 126. Call for appointments at 924-2308 or go online atwww.sjsu.edu/writingcenter. Work

with tutors in a one-on-one environment. Make appointments online at the above website.

Library Liaison

For library research questions, contact Toby Matoush, the English Departments Library Liaison: (408) 808-

2096 [email protected]. King Library has created an extensive andvery useful list of the librarysresources specifically for English majors.

Student Technology Resources

Computer labs for student use are available in the Academic Success Center located on the 1st floor of Clark

Hall and on the 2nd floor of the Student Union. Additional computer labs may be available in your

department/college. Computers are also available in theMartin Luther King Library. A wide variety of audio-

visual equipment is available for student checkout from Media Services located in IRC 112. These items

include digital and VHS camcorders, VHS and Beta video players, 16 mm, slide, overhead, DVD, CD, and

audiotape players, sound systems, wireless microphones, projection screens and monitors.

Academic Integrity

Your commitment as a student to learning is evidenced by your enrollment at San Jose State University. TheUniversitys Academic Integrity policy, located at http://www.sjsu.edu/senate/S07-2.htm, requires you to be honest

in all your academic course work. Faculty members are required to report all infractions to the office of Student

Conduct and Ethical Development. The Student Conduct and Ethical Development website is available at

http://www.sa.sjsu.edu/judicial_affairs/index.html.

Instances of academic dishonesty will not be tolerated. Cheating on exams or plagiarism (presenting the work of

another as your own, or the use of another persons ideas without giving proper credit) will result in a failing grade

and sanctions by the University. For this class, all assignments are to be completed by the individual student unless

otherwise specified. If you would like to include your assignment or any material you have submitted, or plan to

submit for another class, please note that SJSUs Academic Policy S07-2 requires approval of instructors.

A Word about Plagiarism & Turnitin

Plagiarism checks will be performed by asking students to submit various written exercises or essays toTurnitin.com, a service which scans documents for all references to Web sources and other essays. To sign up for

Turnitin use the Class ID 4254840 and Password goth11. You may see your Turnitin report when you submit

your assignment; if there are any discrepancies, I will request a meeting with you; if plagiarism is indicated, there is

a possibility that you could fail the course.

Campus Policy on Compliance with Americans with Disabilities Act

If you need course adaptations or accommodations because of a disability, or if you need special arrangements in

case the building must be evacuated, please make an appointment with me as soon as possible, or see me during

office hours. Presidential Directive 97-03 requires that students with disabilities register with DRC to establish a

record of their disability. The DRC website ishttp://www.drc.sjsu.edu.
http://www.twitter.com/triproftrihttp://www.sjsu.edu/writingcenterhttp://www.sjsu.edu/writingcentermailto:[email protected]://libguides.sjsu.edu/englishhttp://libguides.sjsu.edu/englishhttp://libguides.sjsu.edu/englishhttp://www.sjlibrary.org/services/computers/laptop.htmhttp://www.sjlibrary.org/services/computers/laptop.htmhttp://www.sjlibrary.org/services/computers/laptop.htmhttp://www.sa.sjsu.edu/judicial_affairs/index.htmlhttp://www.turnitin.com/http://www.drc.sjsu.edu/http://www.drc.sjsu.edu/http://www.twitter.com/triproftrihttp://www.sjsu.edu/writingcentermailto:[email protected]://libguides.sjsu.edu/englishhttp://libguides.sjsu.edu/englishhttp://www.sjlibrary.org/services/computers/laptop.htmhttp://www.sa.sjsu.edu/judicial_affairs/index.htmlhttp://www.turnitin.com/http://www.drc.sjsu.edu/


5/8

SCHEDULE of READINGS & ASSIGNMENTS

English 56B, Section 01 (Fall 2012)Syllabus subject to change

See www.sjsu.edu/faculty/harris/Courses.htm for most current schedule

Page Numbers = Norton Anthology 8th edition

Date Topics Reading Due Assignment Due

Thur 8/23 Introductions: You, Me

and a Different Kind of

Course

Greensheet Policies & Schedule

Tues 8/28 Narrating the 19th-

century in Magazines,

Serials & Literary

Annuals

(Lecture Day this starts us off!)

Handouts

Hints for Reading Poetry & Fiction

Timeline & Reading Materials

Thur 8/30 LAB DAY

Meet in IS 134A

Literary annuals, serial novels, magazines, newspapers

(you'll work with original 19th-century materials duringclass)

Handouts

Collaborative Project instructions

Collaboration RubricTweeting as a Character Project instructions

Establish WordPress & Twitter

(hashtag #author56B) accounts

Post Intellectual Autobiography

(during class)

Discuss Collaborative Project on19th-century materials (select

project partners during class)

Discuss Tweeting as a Character

Project (in class)

Tues 9/4 Romanticism:

Apocalypse &

Revolution

Introduction (1-23)

Timeline (23-25)

The Revolution Controversy (148-9)

Burke,Reflections (152-157)Wollstonecraft, Introduction to Vindications of Rights of

Woman (170-174)

Barbauld, The Rights of Woman (35-36)

Hemans, Casabianca (868-70)

Handouts

Wollstonecrafts Vindications Summary (HO)

Recommended

British Newspaper Coverage of the French Revolution

(online)

Thur 9/6 Landscape, Tourism

& Beauty

Wordsworth,Lines Written a Few Miles Above Tintern

Abbey (259-262)

Shelley, Ozymandias (768)

Keats, Letter to George & Thomas Keats (942), Ode on a

Grecian Urn (905)

Handouts

Table of Contents,Lyrical Ballads (HO)

Blog Post due by 3pm


6/8


RecommendedWordsworths Guide to the Lakes (Online)

Wordsworth, I Wandered Lonely as a Cloud (305)

D. Wordsworth,Alfoxden & Grasmere Journals (389-402)

Rap of Wordsworths Daffodils (Online)

New Yorker Cartoon (Online)

For Better for Verse (Online)

Smith, On Being Cautioned (41)

Wollstonecraft,Letters Written (196-202)

Tues 9/11 The Gothic, Satan &

Byronic Heroes

Shelley,Frankenstein (Vol. I)Byron, Prometheus (Online)

The Gothic & the Development of a Mass Readership

(577-79)

The Satanic Hero (490-91)

The Nightmare Painting (C8)

Handouts

Gothic Novel Background (HO)ICE Writing Tips (HO)

Recommended

Lamb, Glenarvon excerpt (Online)

Scott, Wandering Willies Tale, (410-23)Coleridge, Rime of the Ancient Mariner (430-46),

Kubla Khan (446-49), Illustration (C8)

Robinson, To the Poet Coleridge (74)

Modern References to Kubla Khan (Online)

Thur 9/13 LAB DAY

Meet in IS 134A

Preliminary Reports on

Collaborative Project on 19th-century materials (delivered

during class)

Tues 9/18 Shelley,Frankenstein (Vol. II)

Shelleys, excerptHistory of a Six Weeks Tour

(Frankenstein 256-58)

Gilpin, excerpt Three Essays (Frankenstein 216-18)

Thur 9/20 Shelley,Frankenstein (Vol. III) Blog Post due by 3pm

Tues 9/25 Victorian Age:

Withering of the

Individual

Introduction & Timeline (979-1002)

Dickens, A Visit to Newgate (1239-48)

Darwin, Origin of Species (1539-45)

Search Database of Mid-Victorian Wood EngravedIllustrations (1862) using Keyword Search: reading;

bring 2-3 images to class

Handouts

Transition to the Victorians (HO)

Thur 9/27 The Angel in the

House

Patmore, Angel in the House (1585-87)

Tennyson, Lady of Shalott (1114-19)Morris, Defence of Guenevere (1483-91)

R. Browning, My Last Duchess (1255)E.B. Browning, Sonnets from the Portuguese (1084-85)

Recommended

Ruskin, Of Queens Gardens (1587-89)


Tues 10/2 Scribbling Women Jane Eyre (pub 1847), Preface & Chps 1-17

Recommended

Eliot, Silly Novels by Lady Novelists (1342)

Thur 10/4 continueJane Eyre, Chps. 17-38 Blog Post due by 3pm


7/8


Recommended

Pears Soap Ad from 1899 (Online)

Kipling, White Mans Burden (1821)

Imperial Views (Online)

Tues 10/9 LAB DAY

Meet in IS 134A

continueJane Eyre discussions

Jane Eyre Texts: http://thehairpin.com/2012/07/texts-

from-jane-eyre/

Recommended

First Report of the Childrens Employment Commission

(1563-65)

Engels, The Great Towns (1565-72)

Mayhew,London Labour and the London Poor(1576-77)

Work in computer lab on

Tweeting as a Character project

Thur 10/11 LAB DAY

Meet in IS 134A

Be prepared to present on Collaborative Projects Collaborative Project Due

Tues 10/16 ModernistExperiments

Woolf, Mrs. Dalloway (pub. 1925) - read at least half

Thur 10/18 Professional Women finishMrs. Dalloway

Recommended

Woolf, Professions for Women (2152-55)


Tues 10/23 Postmodernism:

Performing

Postmodernity

LAB DAY

Meet in IS 134A

Pinter, The Dumb Waiter(2601-22)

Don Draper Says What (in-class)

Pulp Fiction as Typography (in-class)

Thur 10/25 Realizing Postmodern

Frankensteins

A Clockwork Orange, Introduction & Part I Blog Post due by 3pm

Tues 10/30 [No Class Meeting: Professor Harris giving talk at Scripps College]

Thur 11/1 A Clockwork Orange, Part II

Tues 11/6 A Clockwork Orange, Part III

Thur 11/8 A New Depthlessness Cunningham, The Hours (pub. 1998), read all

Tues 11/13 21st Century:The Uncontrollable

Page

Tree of Codes

Interview with Foer:

http://www.vanityfair.com/online/daily/2010/11/jonathan-safran-foer-talks-tree-of-codes-and-paper-art

Helvetica (video in class)


Thur 11/15 LAB DAY

Meet in IS 134ANoxReview ofNox:

http://www.newyorker.com/arts/critics/books/2010/07/12/

100712crbo_books_orourke

Typographic Ballet:

http://cargocollective.com/rhythm/Typographic-Ballet


Tues 11/20 NO CLASS Meeting Diablo IIIDeveloper Diary, Parts 1-5 (YouTube you will

need to have a YouTube account to see these) (see online

schedule for URLs)

Tweet as Character Project due

by 3pm

Team Play: Choose a partner for
http://thehairpin.com/2012/07/texts-from-jane-eyre/http://thehairpin.com/2012/07/texts-from-jane-eyre/http://thehairpin.com/2012/07/texts-from-jane-eyre/http://www.vanityfair.com/online/daily/2010/11/jonathan-safran-foer-talks-tree-of-codes-and-paper-arthttp://www.vanityfair.com/online/daily/2010/11/jonathan-safran-foer-talks-tree-of-codes-and-paper-arthttp://www.newyorker.com/arts/critics/books/2010/07/12/100712crbo_books_orourkehttp://www.newyorker.com/arts/critics/books/2010/07/12/100712crbo_books_orourkehttp://www.newyorker.com/arts/critics/books/2010/07/12/100712crbo_books_orourkehttp://cargocollective.com/rhythm/Typographic-Ballethttp://cargocollective.com/rhythm/Typographic-Ballethttp://thehairpin.com/2012/07/texts-from-jane-eyre/http://thehairpin.com/2012/07/texts-from-jane-eyre/http://www.newyorker.com/arts/critics/books/2010/07/12/100712crbo_books_orourkehttp://www.newyorker.com/arts/critics/books/2010/07/12/100712crbo_books_orourkehttp://cargocollective.com/rhythm/Typographic-Ballethttp://www.vanityfair.com/online/daily/2010/11/jonathan-safran-foer-talks-tree-of-codes-and-paper-arthttp://www.vanityfair.com/online/daily/2010/11/jonathan-safran-foer-talks-tree-of-codes-and-paper-art


8/8


Diablo III play & write a jointblog post by 3pm

Thur 11/22 THANKSGIVING

Tues 11/27 LAB DAY

Meet in IS 134A

Diablo III(in class play & discussion)

Diablo IIIWiki:http://diablo.wikia.com/wiki/Diablo_III

Diablo IIIOfficial Site: http://us.blizzard.com/en-

us/games/d3/

PUBLIC GAMING NIGHT:

Should we have a massive game night open to everyone?

Thur 11/29 Visitors from

Literature & Game

Studies Programs

(tba)

LAB DAY

Meet in IS 134A

Diablo III(in class play & discussion) Blog Post due by 3pm

Tues 12/4 LAB DAY

Meet in IS 134A

Diablo III(in class play & discussion)

Thur 12/6 Reflections

LAB DAY

Meet in IS 134A


Final Exam Day: Wednesday, December 12, 2:45-5pmFinal Project & Presentation Due in class
http://diablo.wikia.com/wiki/Diablo_IIIhttp://diablo.wikia.com/wiki/Diablo_IIIhttp://us.blizzard.com/en-us/games/d3/http://us.blizzard.com/en-us/games/d3/http://us.blizzard.com/en-us/games/d3/http://us.blizzard.com/en-us/games/d3/http://diablo.wikia.com/wiki/Diablo_III

brit lit survey 1800 to present

Documents